Ulster pair handed first starts for Connacht match

United Rugby Championship, Connacht v Ulster

Venue: Sportsground, Galway Date: Saturday 28 December Kick-off: 19:35 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Ulster and the BBC Sport website and app from 19:03 GMT; live text commentary and report on the BBC Sport website

Ulster have handed first senior starts to fly-half Jack Murphy and wing Rory Telfer for Saturday's United Rugby Championship interprovincial derby against Connacht at the Sportsground in Galway.

Academy number 10 Murphy made his debut off the bench in the defeat by Munster last week while Telfer was introduced as a replacement against Bordeaux and Munster.

The Ulster starting team to face the westerners shows nine personnel changes from that which lost their pre-Christmas interpro contest 22-19 at Kingspan Stadium.

Ben Carson returns from injury to start at outside centre, with Jude Postlethwaite moving to the number 12 position as Stuart McCloskey is ruled out with "a significant hamstring injury".

Telfer is named on the left wing while a new half-back partnership sees Murphy link up with scrum-half Nathan Doak.

Props Eric O'Sullivan and Scott Wilson are drafted in to join Rob Herring in the front row, with Cormac Izuchukwu recalled to the second row.

In the back row Matty Rea and Nick Timoney come in as flankers, with James McNabney moving to number eight.

Academy centre Wilhelm De Klerk is in line for a senior debut should he be called upon from the replacements' bench.

Connacht make three alterations from the starting XV which began the 20-12 loss to Leinster on Saturday.

Half-backs Jack Carty and Caolin Blade are chosen, with Santaigo Cordero coming into the left-wing position.

Ulster are looking to end a run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions and repeat their 32-27 victory over Pete Wilkins' side in Belfast in October.

Richie Murphy's team sit 11th in the URC table, level on points with 10th-placed Connacht.

Both sides have recorded three wins, five defeats and 18 points from their first eight matches of the campaign.

Connacht: O'Conor; Hansen, Forde, Aki, Cordero; Carty, Blade; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham; Murphy, Murray; Prendergast (capt), Hurley-Langton, Boyle.

Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Dooley, Aungier, Dowling, Jansen, Murphy, Jennings, Oliver.

Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Carson, Postlethwaite, Telfer ; Murphy, Doak; O'Sullivan, Herring, Wilson; O'Connor (capt), Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Timoney, McNabney.

Replacements: Andrew, Warwick, Barrett, Treadwell, McCann, Cooney, Morgan, De Klerk.